This
past summer I wrote a report, one of my more personal pieces, with
ideas to help those suffering PTSD, particularly those such as
myself, former intelligence
professionals and/or military, law enforcement, in whose lives the incidence is high.
HEALING
FROM PTSD
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2026/06/healing-from-ptsd.html
This
report is focused on the Internet culture, social media, cell phones
and technology in general, which I have found to be a major source of
stress, not only in my life, but from what I have observed, in the
lives of others.
I
know that most people reading this will probably not share my views,
but I am going to offer them anyway, even if only for some things to
consider for those who feel burdened and would like to reduce the
level of stress. As always, the readers may make of it what they
will, and I hope it is helpful.
I
do not own a “smart phone”. I have never sent a text message, nor
would I know how. I have no interest in learning how to send a text.
I have only an old-style flip phone, which is turned off most of the
time, except when I need to use it for an emergency, or to make calls
when I am not at home. I can count on one hand how many people have
the number.
I
do not use social media, nor have done, ever. I have no interest in
social interactions with random strangers, nor in discussions,
debates, arguments, personal or professional. What a waste of my
valuable time!
I
am not a participant in the Internet culture, which is basically a
hot-bed of busybodies, all jockeying for position, all sticking their
noses into other people's business, spreading unsubstantiated claims,
parroting malicious gossip, and worse, libelous falsehoods which do
harm to the targets of their verbal assaults.
These
users of social media have voluntarily put their personal lives on
display for all and sundry to peruse. They have given up all
expectation of privacy. What's more, they have issued an invitation
to the entire world
to contact them, to comment on them, to engage with them.
Yes,
I know that there are some people whose lives are an open book, there
is nothing wrong with that, and that is their decision. I don't
presume to criticize them,
it's not my business.
What
I am noticing is that most users spend many, many hours online,
'checking in' for 'notifications', eyes glued to the screen, their
phones never out of sight.
The
way social media is designed is that if you are not a 'member', if
you do not have an account, you cannot even see what is on any of
their sites. A non-user is automatically blocked and locked out. This
is one way they draw you in to the system, a sort of capture, that if
you don't join up with your personal information, you're not allowed
to read what is published. I see this as a form of extortion, morally repugnant, and I will take no part.
So
on all this, I can only speak as an outside observer. And what little
I observe seems very pathological to me.
Being
a very private person, and a fierce defender of my personal
boundaries and private life, I have taken great pains to keep my
contact information unlisted (phone and e-mail), except for my postal
mailing address which I have made public, where anyone is welcome to
contact me. Using the post (rather than e-mail) weeds out most of the
busybodies, the curiosity seekers, the salesmen, the crazies. And
saves me from the stress of fending off the hordes of haters and
criminals. Having a public e-mail address (1995-2003) was a nightmare
for me, one I have no wish to revisit.
I
don't receive mail at a street address. That too is unlisted and
private.
As
an advocacy journalist, I have a public website. But it is not
interactive, as I don't invite comments or questions. It is a closed
system, an archive of my work, not monetized, nor influenced by any
entity.
Social
media is all about engagement, whereas my policy is: do not engage.
Because, frankly, I am not interested in mobs of strangers invading
my life. I am perfectly capable of choosing my own friends and
associates, the old fashioned way, not in some virtual reality, but
in the real world.
As
for AI: I want nothing to do with it. I have seen videos of people I
would otherwise like to watch, but if I see that it is AI, I switch
it off. I find it sinister, it's just not real. And there are
innocent people, like some Christian pastors whose names and work are
being exploited by evil scamsters, who are making money off their
theft of intellectual property. Outrageous!
As
far as the cell phone goes, what I have observed of the
users (which seems to be just about everyone), they are constantly
checking for text messages, or sending them. And they seem to expect
their own messages to be answered post haste. When they don't get a
reply, I have seen them become agitated or angry with the other
party. In essence, they have become slaves to a device, and to the
expectations of others. They have given up agency in their own lives.
I cannot imagine why anyone would want to do that. Nor can I enjoy
being in the company of someone who is preoccupied with a phone, when
there is a friend right there trying to have a face-to-face
conversation.
When
I tell people that I do not own a smart phone, that
I do not send or receive text messages, they mostly seem shocked, as
if there is something wrong with me for declining to be a part of
their culture, the way things are done. “But everybody does it...”
Some
have tried to convert me, thinking that once I realize how
“convenient” it is, I will get with the program, like everyone
else. They will even push the issue and say things like: Texting is
easy, I can show you how.
When
I bluntly tell them I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW HOW, because I have no
interest in texting, it seems to boggle the mind. They just don't
get it.
I
tell them this: I have a landline. If you have been given the number
by me, you are free to call at any time. If I am not available, I
have voicemail, you can leave a message. When I don't want to be
disturbed, I turn the ringer off, so you can never call at the wrong
time. That is what I have to offer. If this is not good enough for
you, so be it. But I will not become a screen zombie, on call 24/7, a
compliant soldier in your army, to accommodate you or anyone else.
My
life is not based on serving the expectations of other people, who
adhere to the standards of a stress-inducing culture I find to be
toxic for its intrusiveness.
I
love peace and quiet. I avoid any activities which create stress. I
hate crowds, noise, bright lights, ringing phones, what passes for
“music”, which can't be escaped most anywhere you go. Shopping
at a supermarket has become an ordeal, and I have seriously
considered wearing ear protectors for the firing range, just so I can
shop in peace.
I
love being outdoors, walking in a natural setting. I love reading
(real books, not online). I love classical music, and regularly
listen to peace-inducing Gregorian chants. I love animals, and prefer
their company, for so many reasons. They are mostly quiet, they don't
use cell phones, they have other ways to communicate. Of course, I
also love my friends, my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ
(known and unknown).
MY BELOVED FELINE COMPANION, ANGEL
But
I don't love the culture they have adopted, and refuse to be a part
of it. I have always thought the ideal place for me would be a
monastery, somewhere in a beautiful natural setting, like overlooking
the ocean.
God
did not see fit to place me there, for whatever His reasons. But I do
have some degree of choice about the nature of my environment, and
the ways I want to communicate with others – or not.
The
culture of the Internet, social media and cell phones seems to have
taken over the world. But not my world, never my world.
Barbara
Hartwell
October
2, 2026
Feast
of the Guardian Angels
RELATED REPORT
SOCIAL
MEDIA, THE BEAST SYSTEM TO CONTROL, ENSLAVE & DESTROY: How
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OPS Exploit Hordes of Minions & Stooges,
Gossips, Busybodies, Frauds & Liars
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2021/02/social-media-beast-system-to-control.html
